Rail-joint.



T. G. IOYCE.

RAIL JOINT.

.APPLlc/nmn msn lun: 20.1916.

l @22,40% Patented Am. 10, 191?.

2 SHEETS SHEET l.

IG1Jaycea,

WMM.

T.'G'.10YCE.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20,19I6.

l QW Y Patented Apr. 10, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THOMAS G. JOYCE, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

RAIL-JOINT.

. Patented Apr. 16, 121'?.

Application filed .Tune 20, 1916. Serial No. 104,696.

To all whom t may Concern:

Be it known that l, THOMAS GL JOYCE, a citizen of the United ltates, residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and .State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention7 such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

rlhis invention relates to splice bars for fastening the meeting ends of opposing rails and having bridge pieces depending therefrom, the object of the invention being to so construct the bridge pieces that the same will be strong and durable and also to provide fastening means for connecting the bridge pieces so as to provide a unitary rail joint structure.

Another object of the invention is to admit of any sand or other foreign matter that may enter between the rails and the splice bars being readily discharged from between the bars and rails.

Other objects will appear and be better understood from that embodiment of my invention of which the following is a specilication, reference being had to the accomw panying drawing forming a part thereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of the rail joint,

Fig. 2 is a section, taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section, taken on the line 3 8 of Fig. 1,

Fig. t is a section, taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a section, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the splice bars, showing the inner side thereof,

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the bridge pieces, showing the inner side thereof.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the letters A. and B represent the opposing ends of adjacent rail sections.

Mounted on opposite sides of the webs of the rail sections A and B are a pair of splice bars l and 2. The splice bars l and 2 are of angular shape in cross section and each has a horizontal extension 3 formed thereon which engages under the base liange of the rail, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2, and the inner longitudinal edges of the extensions o on the splice bars 1 and 2 have depending therefrom and integrally secured thereto a pair of bridge pieces 4t. Angular shaped web pieces extend across the point of juncture between the. bridge pieces 4 and the extensions 8, so as to reinforce the said point of juncture. The bridge piece et associated with the extension 3 and splice bar 2 is provided with an arcuate shaped projection 7, and the bridge piece l associated with the splice bar 1 has its inner surface provided with an arcuate shaped recess 8, which is adapted to receive the arcuate shaped projection 7 on the opposed bridge piece when the splice bars are in operative position, as shown in Fig. 2. lllhen the splice bars are in operative position, the opposed inner faces of the bridge pieces 4i formed on respective splice bars are arranged in spaced relation to provide a discharge space 9. Fastening bolts 10 extend through alined openings 11 in the splice bars 1. and 2 and the web of the rails A and B, so as to hold the splice bars in operative position and have those ends which extend through the splice bar 2 threaded for the reception of nuts 12 adjustable against the oul'er face of the adjacent splice bar. The projection 7 and the rear wall of the recess 8 are' provided, respectively, with registering openings 13 and 14E for the reception of bolts 15, those ends of the bolts 15 extending through the projection 7 being also extended beyond the outer face of the adjacent bridge piece i and througlnopenings formed in a projecting lug 16 formed integral with the outer face of the adjacent bridge piece, ,as shown in Fig. 2, the said ends of the bolts being terminally extended beyond the outer face of the lug 16 for the reception of nuts 17 which are adjustable against the outer face of the lug 16 for holding the bolts 15 in operative position. The lug 15 has its outer' end face lying in the same vertical plane with the outer side edge of the splice bar 2. By virtue of this construction the nuts 17, when in positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2, will lie beyond the outer side edge of the splice bar 2, so that the nuts can be grasped by a suitable wrench and conveniently removed from the bolts 15, when it is desired to remove the bolts from operative position.

rlhe points of connection between the splice bars 1 and 2 and the extensions 3 are provided with opposed openings 18, the in ner ends of which communicate with the space between the extensions 3 and the lower side oi' the splice bars 1 and 2 and have their outer ends opening into the outer sides of the splice bars, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The openings 18 serve as discharge openings for any sand, or other foreign matter, that may ind its way between the splice bars 1 and 2 and the ends ot' the rails A and B. Likewise the space 9 between the respective bridge pieces at also serves as a discharge for any sand or other matter that may find its way between the base flange oi' the rail and the extensions 3. By virtue of the curvature of the projection 7 any matter falling through the space 9 and against Ahe upper curved surface ot the projection 7 will travel toward the opposite ends of the projection 7 and be discharged through the lower end of the space 9.

The lower ends of the bridge pieces 1 are vpreferably provided with U-shaped cut-out portions 19, or it desired the lower ends of the bridge pieces may be rounded or squared.

In a rail joint constructed in accordance with the foregoing, the adjacent rails will be held in alinement and against relative movement during the passage of the rolling stock thereover, resulting in the obviating of any jar to the rolling stock in passing over the joints; also by so connecting the opposing bridge pieces 4, tipping of the rails will be prevented and a strong and durable joint will be provided.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new, is: I

1. A rail joint comprising a pair of splice bars, bridge pieces depending .from the.

splice bars, one of the bridge pieces having an arcuate shaped recess on the inner face thereof, an arcuate shaped projection ,carried by the inner face of the other `bridge piece and adapted to be received by the recess in the iirstmentioned bridgevpiece.

2. A rail joint comprising a pair of splice bars, bridge pieces formed on and dependf ing from the splice bars and located inwardly of the outer longitudinal edges oi the splice bars, a lug carried by the outer side of one of the bridge pieces and spaced below the adjacent splice bar and terminally lying flush with the outer longitudinal edge ot' the adjacent splice bar, bolts eX- Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner -of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

